Main menu

Post navigation

DIY Vintage Scoreboard

Nesting has officially set in…I’m feeling to pressure of the timeline and that this little munchkin is only 14 weeks away. Man…when I write it down like that, it seems even closer! I really haven’t done much in the nursery yet other than getting the crib, a light fixture (which is currently sitting on the floor) and some wood blinds (also not installed, still in the box).

Next big focuses are the closet and changing table before I really start to decorate. I have been trying to wait until after all the baby showers. Yes, I said “all the baby showers”. This is one lucky little baby, there are 3 showers lined up over the next 4 weeks to help celebrate him. I’ve been holding myself back from buying too much until after the showers but it’s getting so hard. I just want to start buying stuff off my own registry and feel settled in the room and ready!!

As you might be able to tell from this project, we are going with a vintage sports theme in the nursery. I have never been big on themes so it will be subtle with just a few sports touches, we’ll see how it evolves throughout the decorating process. One thing I did know, I wanted a vintage looking scoreboard hanging somewhere in the room after seeing some online. This is what I came up with. I didn’t map out the measurements beforehand and it wasn’t big enough for what I initially had planned (a baseball scoreboard that had 5 lines of writing and numbers) but I quickly decided that wasn’t going to fit. The design changed a bit as I started painting the words, especially after writing the first line so big…Landon Stadium…anyone catch on there? 🙂

I’m thinking this will hang above the crib and I’m so excited to see how it looks with the crib bedding I picked out!!

Step 1:
I started with this pine panel and 3 of the 4 foot pine boards for the trim

Step 2:
Paint the pine panel with your base color. I used Heirloom Traditions Chalk Paint in Naval. You don’t need to get the edges perfectly as these will be covered by the trim board in step 3. After painting the pine panel, I painted the inside edge of the trim boards with my paint trim color, Heirloom Traditions Chalk Paint in A La Mode, before attaching the trim boards to I didn’t have to worry about painting the edge next to the blue once it was already attached.

Step 3:
Measure one long edge of the pine panel from end to end and cut 1 trim board to that length. Attach the trim board using wood glue and 1 1/4″ finish nails making sure the edges are flush. Do the same on the opposite long edge. Now measure the distance exactly between the 2 trim boards on the shorter edge and cut the trim board to fit snug between them. Do the same on the opposite short edge. All edges should be flush and smooth. Once attached, you can finish painting the front and outside edges of the trim.

Step 4:
Paint the wood rectangles with the paint of your choice. I used Valspar Chalkboard Paint to create a vintage chalkboard look. Once dried, I used 120 grit sandpaper to sand and rough up the edges and front of each square.

Step 5:
Distress the scoreboard and hand paint letters and numbers! I wanted the base of the scoreboard to look a bit weathered. On the main panel, over the blue I used Heirloom Traditions Patina with a dry brush. Using a tiny bit of patina in the lid of the paint jar, a paint brush and a dry cloth, lightly tap the paint brush in the patina, then dab the brush on the dry cloth before lightly brushing it on the wood surface. Using another dry cloth, blend the patina by rubbing the cloth over the wood surface.
On the white trim edges, I used Heirloom Traditions Soft Wax in Muddy Pond to create a worn look. After applying the wax with a dry brush, I used 120 grit sandpaper to sand the surface and edges.
Finally, I hand painted the lettering on the scoreboard and the numbers on the wood squares using A La Mode and 1/2″ flat paint brush. I decided how many rows of lettering I wanted, measured the whole panel and used a pencil to draw lines for each row. I penciled in the letters for a visual before I started so I had an idea of spacing but other than that just kind of winged it. I wanted it to look raw and natural so don’t worry too much about the letters looking perfect. If you need to, you can always use a stencil.

Step 6:
Attach the wood squares using the furniture nails. There are many different colors and finishes available in these at Lowe’s. I chose the Nickle finish. I also used the Muddy Pond soft wax over all the lettering and numbering, then went over each with the sandpaper one more time to give the letters and numbers a faded look.

Also, sidenote…my crib is from Wayfair.com. And I am OBSESSED! I couldn’t find exactly what I wanted in White…of course…so I bought this Viv + Rae Rocco Kokopelli Convertible Crib, painted it white and distressed it. I love the shutter look on the end panels!! And it was on CRAZY sale for only $177!

Can’t wait to get the part of the nursery all put together!! I’ll share photos as they come 🙂 Happy Friday everyone!